(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-02-01 10:12

The politicians who had called for Olmert's resignation last year after a scathing interim report by the commission either lined up behind him Thursday or reserved judgment.

Olmert's main party rival, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, backed away from her demand then that Olmert resign.

"We should act to implement the conclusions of the report and continue to push forward with the peace process," she said at the party meeting.

An election leading to a Netanyahu victory would likely put an end to hopes for a quick Israeli-Palestinian peace accord, hopes that are slim in the best of circumstances. Netanyahu opposes concessions to the Palestinians for peace.

The final report released by the commission Wednesday pointed to "serious failings and shortcomings in the decision-making processes and staff work in the political and the military levels" in the 34-day conflict. Olmert had pledged to bring home two captured soldiers and crush Hezbollah, but neither goal was accomplished.

Olmert said he would implement the findings of the report, which stopped short of blaming him personally for the 2006 war in Lebanon widely seen by Isarelis as a debacle.

"We will continue to deal with the corrections and the processes that we must undergo. It's possible to say that some of them are already under way," Olmert said Thursday.

Next week the Israeli parliament will debate the commission's report, parliament spokesman Giora Pordes said. Olmert is expected to speak, his office said.

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